Question:
my surgeon told me that if i had the D/s done i would get really bad body oder and

not be able to hold my gas is this true?    — Debbie G. (posted on September 19, 2002)

September 19, 2002
This is absolutely untrue. It is a myth and, as a medical professional, I am ashamed to hear of another medical professional perpetrating it. I had a DS 11 months ago and have lost 114 lbs, with 45 to go until goal. Check my profile on AMOS and contact me if you have any other questions. Also, there is a site devoted to the DS--www.duodenalswitch.com. Good luck!
   — dantevolta

September 19, 2002
What a load of hot air! No, it's not true! If you are hygiene-conscious and eat and drink as you are supposed to, you will be as fine as you ever were before surgery!
   — Marjorie B.

September 19, 2002
Body odor? Does he mean gas? Yes, it is common for those who have DS to have bad gas & poops, but my doc says that this is usually controlled within the first 6 months of surgery. Also, there are ways to control the "stench", charcoal tabs and a prescription drug called Devrom, which is an odor control pill(?) used by people that have colostomy. I am having BPD/DS on Nov 11th, at first I was really concerned about the gas & poop probs, but now I am totally confident in this procedure for me.
   — Anne F.

September 19, 2002
The only reason you would have body oder after the DS or any WLS for that matter is if you don't have good hygiene. The surgery does not make you suddenly stink. It's one of the great myths out there. Now some people go into ketosis (sp?) after having a WLS surgery (any not just DS) if the eliminate all carbs from their diet. I've been told the body produces a sweet smell if it starts buring only the ketones. This does not happen very often and occurs only if you eliminate all carbs from your diet (eat only straight protein). Eating a couple of crackers with your cheese is enough to keep it from happening but even then it's not a bad oder (from what I've been told. I have not experienced this myself) As far as gas goes, you will have more than pre-op but once again it doesn't have to be a nuisance. During the first 6-8 weeks things can be difficult as your new body adjusts but by the time most people go back to work this is long an issue of the past. On the yahoo groups board, I know there are at least a half a dozen teachers there - some of junior and senior high students. They'd be letting us know if this was a problem. My guess is your surgeon isn't real informed about the DS. It seems alot of the misinformation comes from surgeons/patients who simply don't know much about the DS surgery.
   — Stephanie Z.

September 19, 2002
Again with that question**smile**everytime I read it I start wondering and I have someone smell me**LOL**well it's definite I'm almost 7 months out from a DS down 95lbs and I DO NOT SMELL HORRIBLE!!! That's if you like the perfume JOY, because that's all I smell of and when I'm not wearing it I still DO NOT stink, that's according to a reliable source... On the other hand, my poop still smells...I'm working on that... Diane in San Francisco
   — Diane B.

September 19, 2002
oranigal poster here: thank you all for answering i will be looking for a diff surgeon now in the Mo area that does the DS so if anyone knows of one please let me know my surgeon refused to even think about doing the DS due to body oder i have read lots of the DS profiles and i dont hear that from anyone smelly poop yeah but who dont have that now LOL thanks all
   — Debbie G.

September 19, 2002
I must say, Body odor no. There are times however when the gas is pretty bad. However, I have seen a direct correlation to what I eat. If I tend to eat a higher fat content food(sometimes Chinese food too)than the gas is a little bit of a problem. However, when I'm careful about what I eat than gas ISN't an issue what so ever! I'm 18 mos. post op.
   — Linda M.

September 20, 2002
This kind of misinformation coming from a physician really makes me mad! Sounds to me like this guy just doesn't want to lose your business because all he does is the RNY, so he's willing to say whatever. <p>I had the DS over a year ago and I do not have body odor. I have teenage children who shower sometimes twice a day, so believe me, if I smelled bad, they would tell me. I do have smelly diarrhea and gas when I eat rich foods such as ice cream or other desserts, so I have learned to avoid them--much as a RNY patient avoids them because of the dumping syndrome. I do not enjoy suffering like that, so I avoid refined carbs combined with high fat. High fat foods without the sugar do not cause me any problems, but the two together do. Go figure. <p>I'm glad to hear you're going to look elsewhere for a DS surgeon. Best wishes to you.
   — artistmama